We’re vindicated over claim on Ekiti roads refund – APC

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has said that truth has emerged on its claim that Governor Ayodele Fayose had collected refund on federal roads rehabilitation carried out by former Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Reacting to the revelations by the state Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr. Tope Aluko, on a live programme on Adaba FM radio, based in Akure, Ondo State on Wednesday that Fayose actually collected the money and diverted it for undisclosed reasons, the Publicity Secretary of the APC, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said the party had been vindicated over its claim that Fayose actually collected the refunds for the road projects.
The refund was put at N22 billion, part of which Olatunbosun said Aluko confirmed.
Aluko had revealed during the live programme that part of the refund on federal roads that the governor collected after October 2014 was never accounted for or reflected in the 2015 and 2016 budgets.
He added that the revelations by the Commissioner for Finance, Toyin Ojo, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Department of State Services on Ekiti State finances jolted Fayose to quickly surrender the money and diverted part of it to the overhead bridge he never planned for.
The statement by Olatunbosun added: “The governor on three occasions during his media chat always denied ever collecting any money as refunds on the federal roads executed by his predecessor.
“It is great now that fact has emerged that the governor actually collected the money and kept it in a secret account unknown to government’s transactions.”
Wondering why the governor always wants to cheat Ekiti State people in money matters, Olatunbosun queried: “Why did Fayose deny in the first place that he collected N22 billion refund on roads out of which Aluko confirmed N5.7 billion? Where was the money lodged since October 2014 when it was paid? How much interest has accrued and where is it? How much mobilisation was paid to the contractor handling the flyover?
“Why did Fayose shroud the refund in secrecy? How can you have this kind of money in a secret account for selfish purposes and you are owing workers five months salaries only to divert it to another dubious over-head bridge being handled by companies owned by the governor’s friends when the EFCC is about asking questions on the money?
“This is the same way Fayose did not disclose that a bank sponsored the construction of Funmi Olayinka House with N600 million while another bank paid N400 million for the construction of  less than one km Ikere road dualisation which Fayose awarded as contract valued over N400 million.”
Faulting Fayose for refusing to tell Ekiti State people that the N600 million for the Olayinka House and N400 million for the Ikere road were donations from banks, Olatunbosun accused the governor of treating Ekiti State Government as his personal business without any accountability to the people.
He said: “The bailout fund, which he collected from the Federal Government for the purpose of paying workers salary, has been cornered by Fayose who kept the money in an undisclosed account in the past 8 months while workers, pensioners and past political office holders have not been paid their entitlements.
“Governor Fayose is yet to account for the N10 billion loan he recently obtained from the  Federal Government which he put in Access Bank. The loan was released to the state shortly after he collected the bailout but both have been diverted.
“Despite collecting all these funds, the governor owes Ekiti workers and pensioners over five months salary arrears. This is unconscionable and heartless to put the people’s money away in a secret account for selfish reasons, only to splash the money on non-priority project when the fraud was about to be exposed.
“He is now using part of the refund on roads, N10 billion loan and the bailout which he has diverted to construct the flyover while workers salaries are left unpaid, even as doctors in Ekiti State hospitals are currently on strike due to non-payment of salaries while many people are dying but Fayose is not bothered.”
Olatunbosun urged the governor to stop making Ekiti State people go to bed on empty stomach while the governor devoted Ekiti money to his private comfort.
He also urged Ekiti State people, the EFCC and other security agencies to ask the governor to account for all the monies, including arbitrary rates and taxes, he had received from various sources but refused to disclose the accounts into which they were paid.